"PAPA, I'm home!" Miya's enthusiastic shout echoes through the door as she eagerly knocks. Following the parade, we head straight to Miya's home, where Aunt Matilda should have carried out with phase 2 of the plan.
"Miya, my Aunt has probably already informed your parents about our 'connection.' Do you have the pendant you mentioned earlier?" I sheepishly ask Miya, the guilt of venting my anger at her still lingering.
"Oh, yes, I completely forgot about that! Here!" She fidgets through the pockets of her dress and places a turquoise pendant shaped like a butterfly into my palm. The necklace is intricately carved, and I hold it, observing it, while Miya reassures me with a nod.
Before I can inquire about what to say, the door swings open, revealing Miya's father. Like Miya, he had mousy brown hair, but much darker, with a tall figure that towered over both of us. His arched eyebrows carry a sense of worry until he sees Miya, softening. Finally, his gaze lands on me.
"Delisa, your Aunt came to me; she—" He grips the door, almost as if trying to prop himself up. "Do you really have the pendant?" Eagerly scanning my face, I place the butterfly pendant into his palms. His eyes widen, shock giving way to happiness.
"Oh my, my! I never thought I'd see this again after my grandma entrusted me with the family jewels!" he smiles, and I give him a fake smile, holding back the guilt rippling through me. Miya looks around uncomfortably before changing emotions.
"Papa, can you believe that Delisa is part of our family!" She swings her arm, and we both flash fake smiles. Miya's dad booms with deep laughter and pulls us both inside.
"My head! I still can't wrap my head around what your Aunt told me! Is it true you can do magic now?" Having known Miya's dad since childhood, he was always aware of my status and knew I could never possess magic because of it.
"Yes, Mr. Belmont!" I beam, gently tapping on a potted plant, letting it illuminate under my finger, performing the only magic I knew how to do. Mr. Belmont's eyes widen, and he observes the plants before shaking his head.
"Sweet celestial spheres, how in the heavens did you perform that spell?" He touches the plant and rubs his fingers through its leaves. Wait, how did I know how to do that? Was I not supposed to know it instinctively?
"Uhmm, Miya—Miya taught me. I was so excited when I found out!" I blurt out. The sounds of footsteps echo through the floor, and I look to the side of Mr. Belmont to see my Aunt sipping a cup of tea.
"Delisa and Miya, I see you have arrived. How was the parade, girls?" she asks, with hidden meaning in her tone.
"It was amazing, right, Miya?" I ask, looking at her. Miya forgets about everything and starts jumping up and down, clutching onto her dad.
"PAPA, YOU'LL NEVER BELIEVE IT! I SAW PRINCESS RUBY AND PRINCE ATLAS! PRINCE ATLAS EVEN SAID HI TO ME!" she squeals, yanking his arm. Mr. Belmont chuckles, slowly letting go of his arm.
"I would love to hear, my jewel, but why don't you and Delisa get changed first. Both of you look like you ran a marathon!" We both nod and look at each other. He was right; all that running and jumping had made us rather filthy. Miya nods and pulls me upstairs.
"Once you're done, meet me in the kitchen. I have some cookies prepared for you girls. I also want to take more with Delisa." I was expecting this, Miya's dad wouldn't buy it so easily. Miya nods, and races up the stairs probably eager for the cookies her father prepped. The parade made me winded, so I slowly climb the stairs when a voice echoes from below.
"Delisa? Delisa, can I talk to you?" It's Aunt Matilda. I slowly make myself downstairs and approach her.
"Why are you walking so slow?" Before I can answer, she takes in my scuffed-up knees and bloody wrist. "DELISA? What happened?" she says, shock in her eyes. How am I supposed to explain to her that I fell down a box of crates after I caught Prince Atlas whispering to Miya?
"I saw Prince Atlas and was shocked to see him and bumped." At least I wasn't completely lying. Aunt Matilda's eyes blank, like she remembers what she was saying.
"Prince Atlas! You saw Prince Atlas!" she exclaims in a horrified whisper.
"Why was he at Princess Ruby's parade? Did you talk to HIM?" she shakes my shoulders. I could almost imagine her head erupting with steam if I told her he came over to talk to us, but I was sick of lying to her after she promised she would stay by my side after our commotion at Dr. Patterson's.
"I did see him, Auntie. He was at the parade because he's Princess Ruby's betrothed. I eventually did end up talking to him; however, he didn't recognize me. He just thought I was some silly fan." I shake my head, remembering our interaction earlier. Aunt Matilda's mouth drops like she heard something horrible.
"B-but!" Oh, here we go again; she's about to start ranting.
"Auntie, I promise it's not what you think. He didn't recognize me, and he thought Miya and I were some silly town girls. It's okay, Auntie. Trust me." I give her a reassuring nod before climbing back upstairs. I walk down the corridor that leads to Miya's room. I had been to Miya's home a million times when I was a kid and partially knew my way around the home.
I give a quick rap on the door and walk inside. Miya has swapped her blue sundress for a purple floral one.
"That looks amazing on you, Miya!" I smile, sitting on her bed. Despite not being here for a long time, everything looked the same. The easel filled with our drawings as kids, her stack of books, and a mountain of plush animals kept from her childhood.
"Thanks! Actually, I have a spare of this dress! A family friend got me the same exact one! Let me go find it for you!" She drops her old dress into a hamper before exiting the room. I nod and collapse onto her bed, my head spinning with thoughts. I immediately move to the handkerchief in my palm. I grip it with unconsciously, but something sharp pokes me back.
"Huh!" The unexpected sound escapes my lips as I sit up abruptly, the handkerchief unraveling in my hands. A delicate metal chain slips through, hitting the ground with a soft chime.
"What in the—" Leaning over, I pick up the chain, and the gleam of gold catches my eye. It's not just any chain; it's a golden necklace with a broken crown pendant—the very one Prince Atlas wore in the picture. I gasp, letting the chain fall onto my lap. Why would he give this to me? I delicately pick it up, studying it closely. It's identical to mine, and a sense of connection between them tingles in the air. The room appears to close in on me, and with a shaking finger, I reach into the collar of my dress, pulling out my own necklace.
As if guided by an invisible force, my piece of the crown effortlessly connects to his. The magnetic pull between them creates an electrifying sensation, leaving me breathless in awe.
"Magnets, it's probably just magnets," I whisper, trying to rationalize the inexplicable connection. I flip the crown onto the back, revealing the word 'Delisa' elegantly carved on my half, a barely visible 'a.' On his side, the letter 'a' in atlas was barley visible, but combined together they read-
Delisatlas
Note from Author
Close to 400 reads?!?!? I never expected Crown of Spell to be read by so many people! Truly makes me so happy :)
A heartfelt shoutout and immense gratitude to chaotic_marss for their unwavering support and consistent presence, always on standby to drop comments on my latest chapter! <3 <3 <3
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Crown Of Spells
FantasyDelsia's been called ordinary all her life, despite the pulsing power in her veins and an intricate gold tattoo on her back. Unbeknownst to Delsia, she possesses extraordinary magical abilities that hints at a destiny far greater than she could ever...
